| Product: |
Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection - Take That |
| Date: |
14/12/05 (433 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Great songs, cheery pop, nostalgic
Disadvantages: A bit cheesy at times - but who cares?
I liked Take That in the 1990s, although I was too old to be a groupie. When the recent TV documentary was on, I watched it and really enjoyed it. Besides Robbie, I had only really followed Mark Owen’s career, buying both his solo albums, so it was interesting catching up with what Howard, Gary and Jason were doing. After the documentary, I really wanted their new album, so that is what I spent an Amazon voucher on.
Never Forget is pretty much a greatest hits album, with one previously unreleased track. All the songs you would expect are on it, as well as a live version of Pray and a remix of Relight My Fire. There are a whopping great nineteen tracks on this (Over an hour and seventeen minutes!) and recordings spanning thirteen years. A must for any fan obviously, but also the album anyone with even a casual interest in Take That should own.
The opening track is Never Forget from 1995. For me, this isn’t a favourite and I think they could have had a stronger song at the beginning, to make more of an impact. It’s not a bad song, but there are much better ones to follow. It does have a good chorus though.
My favourite Take That songs are Babe, It Only Takes A Minute and Could It Be Magic and these three are all included. These particular tracks sum up the group for me – Babe being sang by the baby-faced Mark Owen, Could It Be Magic fronted by the now world famous Robbie Williams and It Only Takes A Minute was the first time I was aware of the group’s existence. It is a very catchy song (and the video is atmospheric too), I also think it has aged well, despite being one of their earliest tracks, being released in 1992.
It really doesn’t seem that long since Take That were super huge. My son was born in 1992 and will soon be fourteen! Take That have certainly made a successful comeback this year. All my kids like them and my fifteen year old daughter was asking me about Babe, as one of her friends had been talking about the song. Even my sister-in-law, who’s in her twenties, has asked for the Never Forget album for Christmas. Plus, it’s the sort of music you can play in front of your parents or grandparents (unlike Eminem’s Curtain Call, which I bought at the same time I got this album!).
Both Back For Good and Pray remind me of the videos, when I listen to the tracks. Back For Good was their pre-Robbie farewell, I believe, and it is quite sad because of that. As for Pray, well, all these years later, I still have the video! You know, cavorting topless men dancing in the rain still has its redeeming qualities.
Take That are shamelessly poppy and revel in it. Their music has a reassuring British feel to it and an optimistic tone. It’s a great album for cheering yourself up or for getting into the mood for going out and partying. You know what to expect from them and they deliver. There really isn’t a bad track on the album either.
Most of the interest for die-hard fans will probably be in the three new tracks, all of which are at the end of the album. The live version of Pray from Berlin in 1993 comes first and is a minute and a half longer than the single version we know and love. Gary Barlow’s voice sounds very clear and strong here. I do wonder if he was better looking or more charismatic, he would have been as big as Robbie. Pop is a fickle world.
The remix of Relight My Fire isn’t very different. It still includes Lulu’s vocals, but is around twenty seconds shorter. Still, it’s a good enough song and I don’t mind two versions being on the album, even if they sound pretty similar to my untrained ears.
The final track is Today I’ve Lost You, the first time this has been released. It was intended to be the follow up single to Back For Good, but the band split and it never appeared – until now. This was recorded in September this year, so should give a few clues as to their current sound.
Once again, Gary sings lead vocals and the song sounds very much in keeping with their last few singles of 1995. A three minute track, again written by Gary Barlow (who has certainly done well out of his songwriting, if his house is anything to go by!), it is quite a slow track, pleasant enough, but it does lack the zest of some of their hits.
So, to sum up, this album is great. Besides the tracks mentioned above, the album also contains How Deep Is Your Love, Everything Changes, Sure, A Million Love Songs, Why Can’t I Wake Up With You, Love Ain’t Here Anymore (my least favourite track), I Found Heaven, Promises and Once You’ve Tasted Love.
Take That are cool again!
Summary: A greatest hits album from THE act of the 1990s
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